“Paradigm of Power” as a New Theoretical Approach and an Alternative to “State” & “Political System” Theories

Document Type : Research Paper

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Abstract

“State theory” and different and contradictory perceptions of it, is counted as a prominent approach in the contemporary political knowledge. Various liberal, Marxist and Third World models of “state theory” have always had a widespread reflection on the study of politics in different Western and non-Western societies and have been the central predominant theory particularly in the literature of political economy, political sociology and historical sociology. The main objective of this article is an attempt to formulate a new theoretical approach and an alternative to “state” and “political system” theories so that the new theoretical approach (titled as “paradigm of power” approach) may enjoy epistemic, methodological and theoretical capacity and desirability, while avoiding some existing reductionism in “state” and “political system” theories.

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